Biopsy forceps, especially those which are intended for endoscopic use, provide a pair of mutually articulated jaws that can be opened at a situs where tissue is to be excised, and closed to cut and contain the specimen so it can be removed and examined. This is a routine procedure which rarely involves a complication. The wound is small and routinely heals.
However, the location of the situs always concealed from the surgeon, who must rely on telescopic or video means to observe the procedure, and occasionally a cut will be made through a vessel. In that event coagulation is necessary. In the prior art the forceps must be removed, and then coagulating means must be passed to the bleeding situs. The blood at the situs obscures the wound from being seen by any optical or video observation means. Locating the wound to be coagulated is both difficult and time-consuming, all to the disadvantage of the patient.
It is an object of this invention to enable the surgeon not only to excise the specimen, but also, if the cutting results in excessive bleeding, then without removing the forceps, to coagulate the wound. As a consequence, the coagulation occurs precisely where it is needed, and without delay to remove the forceps and to find and to place coagulating means where it is needed.
The problems of holding a specimen while it is being cut loose are well-known. When the forceps jaws are closed, the sample tends to slip before it is completely trapped. Then the desired tissue may not be caught. This problem has been addressed and solved in Bales U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,727, in which a pair of articulated jaws enclose a spear between them which impales the tissue and holds it in place while the jaws are closed to cut the specimen free.
It is an object of this invention to provide the stabilizing means shown in the Bales patent, and also to provide coagulating means to coagulate the wound while the forceps is still in place, if necessary. While this procedure sacrifices the specimen, it does attend to the wound, and leaves a clean field for a repeat effort to obtain a specimen.